4 years ago

Is Sims DLC Necessary?

I have seen and participated in a few recommendation threads as of late and it has gotten me thinking: is DLC necessary in the Sims series? I am thinking more grounded in the here and now with existing titles, but I would not mind a little speculation as to if it will be necessary for future titles.

I realize, obviously, they are all optional purchases and usually any debate would end there (optional = not necessary). However, thinking through it all, I personally do not disable or really even skip that many packs. I have all of 1, all but the regional holiday pack of 2, all packs of 3 and a little store content, and all of 4. If anything, the one major constant for my playstyle through the years from 1 to now is that fact that I am constantly using all kinds of the available DLC pretty well all the time once I have them. Although I definitely understand what I like and dislike about each base game, it is hard for me to actually imagine playing with no packs for any of the titles. With both 3 and 4 I took fairly long hiatuses from them when they first released, only messing around to understand the mechanics and waiting for a point down the DLC line to transfer to the newest entry. (Not necessarily my thought process at the time for 3, but that is what happened.) I suppose it is possible to an extent, but I would not really want to. Plus, being completely honest, I have really been enjoying 4 lately, but if I had to be relegated to the base game for some hypothetical reason (worse yet, launch base game) then I genuinely think I would never play it again.

So what does everyone else think? I understand that for others this is the same kind of situation with mods, and they may very well shape the answers for many of you. I have never been big into modding the Sims. Some other games I will not touch unmodded, but I never really needed it in the older Sims titles and I consider it a hassle for 4 since Origin does not have the built in mod support of say Steam or the Paradox launcher. I digress, though.

Is DLC necessary for you Sims game? I think it is necessary for mine at this point.

ncisGibbs_BOSS
4 years ago
"KatAnubis;c-17948088" wrote:
DLCs are necessary for me so that I can pick and choose what features I want to have in my game without having to resort to mods. I almost wish that they would divide things up more. For instance, I only have Vampires because I wanted the buy/build and CAS. I wish that I could have gotten them without the Vampires themselves.

Yeah it’s difficult when furniture you like is tied to a pack. I recently bought Snowy Escapes but I really liked the hairstyles and furniture so I waited until it was in a sale.
eternalrainn
4 years ago
"GlacierSnow;c-17942055" wrote:
I actually did have fun with just the sims 4 base game for several months before I bought my first sims 4 DLC. So I think it's totally playable that way. But, in general, for me a lot of the fun of the sims is having tons and tons of options for stories, settings, activities, and characters. I own most of the packs from Sims 4, and I use content from all of them in various types of contexts.

Sims 3, I got the base game bundled with the supernatural pack. So I never played it as base game alone. It was the supernatural pack that made me interested in the sims games in the first place.

Kind of how I feel about it. I could play with base game only, but now that I've already been exposed to having vampires, spellcasters, new worlds, and tons of build/buy it would be hard to go back. I was playing the base game for almost a year before I bought City Living and once you buy your first DLC it's hard not to keep adding to the game. I only buy packs I actually play with though, and on sales.
Fr0il
4 years ago
The problem with Sims games, especially Sims 4, is that the base games can be so barebones, empty, lacking. Yes expansions are fancy shiny newfangled thingamajigs, but, especially Sims 4, it breathes new life in to the game (despite them being, yet again, barebones, empty and lacking). If you have a great imagination you can do fine with the base game alone.
MarioBabyLuigi
4 years ago
I get the best experience if I have all DLC so I say yeah.

HOWEVER it shouldn't be priced as it is. 800+ dollars for all expansions I'd say is horrific.
Plumbob_Claire
4 years ago
I feel to a degree, yes, it is necessary for me. I've always loved and appreciated weather changes and having pets. So those are necessities for me to enjoy the game. :)
Bluebell23456
4 years ago
@Chicklet453681 That is interesting to think about, an incredibly scaled down version for base game only. Hm. I do like the idea, but I do see some problems arising-- specifically how much is enough.

Say the Sims 4 devs argue now that they: 1) do include sunny weather, 2) included small pet frogs, and 3) included primary schooling and that should meet those basic requirements to be expanded upon. 4 was lacking in many areas at launch, but it did similar in these three aspects in every game as we have both acknowledged.

I will not defend lacking the most basic of weather such as an occasional cloudy day, but I will say for university that some people really do not go. We also have no representation of trade schools, which actually could and probably should be the base game alternative.

As for pets, I never see us getting them base game solely because of CAP. CAP has to encompass so much, even if it is to be expanded later. Plus all the extra modeling. So I genuinely believe pets will ever really be base game.
Divinity_wingz
Seasoned Newcomer
4 years ago
Yess. I need both DLC and Mods.
ThriorTheSecond
Seasoned Newcomer
4 years ago
I'm very picky over DLC and basically only get those which cater to my interests. Therefore I do think they are necessary for me to really enjoy the game. E.g. Seasons is a must, something any "life simulator" should have IMO. I also really want my vampires and other ways to spice up the core gameplay. They can also be important for mods since the first gameplay mods I download tend to be vampire related, mostly stuff that results in, ahem, "feeding accidents". Any vacation type of packs (i.e. ones that are focused on specific location) I tend to skip. I also don't care about building focused packs because I'm in it for the gameplay and the sims themselves.

The importance of DLC had some differences between Sims tittles though. TS2 basegame was a very fresh experience because of being such a huge improvement over TS1 (for which I never got any DLC) and thus it kept me entertained for a loooong time. Eventually, I did get Seasons and then some other Eps. TS3 I got bundled with Late Night and, coupled with the new open world system, it was another rich experience from the start and kept me entertained for a long while but, again, I ended up buying Seasons... and then some other stuff. With TS4... I grew bored of the base game in just one day. Since there happened to be a sale, I went and got some DLC: Seasons (surprise!), Vampires and Parenthood. During later sales I got some more stuff relevant to my interests. Because TS4 lacked a "new hook", it's the one TS tittle in particular that really needed DLC in order for me to enjoy it.
I guess some could say "well played EA" since they certainly got me to buy DLC fast :|. Oh well, got the base game for free and the DLC from a sale so I have no regrets.
ikirkley
4 years ago
I have most of the DLC, but I find I haven't been using it much lately. I've gotten into creating lots and have been forcing myself to use only base game content. It's quite a satisfying challenge. I figure once I finally get bored of the base game content, I can re-visit past builds and update them with new content. Now, if you're playing in Live mode, then I can see the benefit of DLC keeping the game fresh beyond it's typical lifespan.
cyncie
Seasoned Veteran
4 years ago
I think DLC is one of the keys to customization. I’m not a completist, so I only get the packs that enhance my play style. For example, I’m not a builder or family player, so I tend to pass on packs that emphasize those elements. My games are character driven, so CAS packs and added gameplay would definitely get more of my attention. I look for interesting worlds and situations for the characters I’ve imagined in my head, and my choice of DLC reflects that. The great thing is, we all play The Sims; but every player’s game is truly unique to them.